Emergency response numbers such as 911 are utilized to provide individuals with a quick and easy way to contact an emergency response service when an emergency situation arises. By providing a standardized method of contacting emergency personnel, these emergency response numbers are effective in reducing the amount of time necessary to respond to an emergency. In an emergency, the amount of time required to respond can often mean the difference between life and death. Response time may be further minimized by employing caller identification technology that allows an operator with the emergency response service to automatically determine the phone number of the caller without requiring the caller to provide such information. If the call was placed from a stationary telephone, the operator with the emergency response service can also determine the location of the caller. Thus, even if the user is unable to verbally request assistance, the emergency response service can still send emergency response personnel to the location from which the call was placed.
One of the primary shortcomings of the prior art devices for utilizing the 911 emergency response system is that a phone terminal is needed to contact the emergency response service. If the emergency situation occurs in a remote area, it is often impossible to place a call to the emergency response service. However, with the advent of cellular telephone technology it is now possible to carry a cellular telephone that allows an emergency caller to contact an emergency response service from practically anywhere. The primary drawbacks of the cellular system are the high cost of cellular service and the inability of the emergency response service to automatically determine the location of the caller.
Cellular devices and services have been offered that are limited to emergency use only. These devices have several buttons that allow a variety of emergency services, such as fire, medical and police, to be summoned. However, the multiple buttons and functions may cause confusion in an emergency situation. Because of the stress often associated with emergency situations, an operator of such a complex emergency communication device may fail to properly summon emergency personnel. In addition, these emergency communication devices fail to integrate the functioning of the cellular device with home alarm systems that the user of the device might have. Furthermore, the devices do not have the capability to summon individuals in the immediate area around the device that may be able to provide assistance.
In addition to contacting emergency response services, victims in emergency situations may wish to summon other persons for help, such as a family member, friend, or neighbor. If the victim were to try to contact these persons using a typical cellular phone, the victim would have to make several separate and sequential calls. The nature of the emergency situation may make it impossible for the victim to dial several phone numbers to contact several different individuals.